Don't Ask Me Why...

i decided to submit another short play for this year's 10x10.

i realize i wasn't 100% satisfied with the past two productions and i bitch and moan about scriptwriters every year.... but i just felt i had to.

i mean... the average age of a scriptwriters member must be about 102... so it's nice to inject some youth and vulgarity into the proceedings.

and i didn't create anything new this year... it's a piece i wrote one weekend for a friend's afternoon reading. a break-up scene between a may/december relationship.

i don't find it all that interesting, actually... but i do like the dialogue.

funny thing... there are strict submission rules for the 10x10. 12-point font. 8-10 pages. scripts exceeding 10 pages will be disqualified.

well, i'll be a sonovabitch if my script wasn't 13 pages....

"the fuck am i gonna do now?" i thought. so i went to work.

i adjusted some stage directions, shortened some descriptions. moved line reading cues (such as "dryly" or "a bit louder than anticipated") to the same line as the dialogue...

and then i set to cutting lines...

as i said... what i like most about the piece is the dialogue. very terse and incomplete. my favorite kind. so how do i cut it?

well...i came to the decision that i'll make some strategic cuts... mainly cutting back on some repetition in speech that i like for rhythm. and if i'm chosen... BOOM! the original script is slipped back in for performance.

it will be under ten minutes...trust me. it's quick, short dialogue... it just takes a lot of space to write that shit.

anyway...

in all honesty, i'd be a bit surprised if i'm chosen. the subject matter may not be all that interesting... and maybe it's been done before... but i think my take on it... and the dialogue... is better than most things i've seen come out of scriptwriters.

but again: in all honesty.... i'd be kinda pissed and disappointed if this group snubs their nose up at my writing.

i'm going for 3 outta 3 here.

in the end...i think i entered a piece because.... well.... having something done (even something only ten minutes and not performed overly well) keeps me motivated and going. keeps my work out there...

and there's nothing like hearing your words spoken up on a stage.

i guess i'll know around june 2nd.

oy! the waiting....

e.